Why hello there! I'm Rachel. Welcome to my own little corner of the interwebs where I chronicle my daily adventures. My blog began under the name explorology as a study in exploring my career interests and the city around me at my alma mater UC Davis. Still embodying that same Spirit of Adventure - I am now exploring where I was born and raised - the San Francisco Bay Area. Expect all things food, film and fun sprinkled with bits of travel, artwork and post-grad life advice.

There’s nothing like spending my morning walking for hours surrounded by nature. I’ve been exploring different local trails with my dad and Neo and this time we ventured off the to the Orinda side of Briones Regional Park. A bit of sunshine, exercise and a happy dog always leaves us feeling refreshed and ready to accomplish whatever we set out to the rest of the day. I brought my Lensbaby Spark to play with for the first time. The shots turned out oh so dreamy and ethereal.

Like I said before, my family & I are a bit of seafood snobs – especially – when it comes to sushi. After checking out Butterfly Beach, we searched for local Japanese restaurants on our Garmin and ended up at Sakana. This was during my pre-iPhone days so I had no idea it had such high accolades on Yelp.

Sakana is not your traditional Japanese restaurant. Catering to the American sensibility, every other item on the menu was infused with white truffles or cream cheese.

Although the dishes were beautifully presented, a lesson to Sakana and all those in Southern California – looks cannot substitute for substance. Maybe we just came at a time when the fish was not as fresh but that is no excuse for a big-ticket establishment. Don’t let my smile fool you -the salmon sashimi on my salad was thinly cut! All their high score reviews is just another example of how money can’t buy you taste. We were all missing our East Bay faves – Nama & Miyuki who give generously at a fraction of the cost.

On our last day in Santa Barbara, before we made the drive up north, we stopped by to check the view of Butterfly Beach adjacent to The Biltmore. Known for serving as a backdrop to many a Hollywood film and a home-away-from-home for celebs off-camera, this Four Seasons hotel combines high class luxury with Mediterreanean charm.

We didn’t get a chance to explore the inside but perhaps one day. To my delight, this was one of the rare times my brother was game for portrait taking.

He’s such a character!

I’m not much of a beach person but I imagine this would be a nice location to catch the sunset – water for days.

Today marks the 225th anniversary of when Franciscan Friar Fermin de Lasuen founded the “Queen of the Missions” on the Feast Day of St. Barbara. As a native Californian with a Catholic school upbringing, visiting this beautiful Mission was not just a photo op but also a chance to connect with my roots.

I remember back in 4th grade we visited a local mission and had to choose a partner to make a presentation on one of the 21 historic missions. Maggie & I made a miniture model out of foam board and lots of acrylic paint. Wish I had a photo to show you.

Back in 2003, I was fortunate enough to visit Assisi, Italy during a trip to Europe through my high school. Seeing where St. Francis lived and served was so humbling and the vibrant and detailed frescos that canvased the interiors were awe inspiring. It amazing to me that one person from centuries ago can still have such influence on the present day.